Through sickness and in health

36

Tuesday

"Sorry I'm late!" The front door closes, followed by rushes footsteps. Jason rushes into the dining room practically sliding on the floor.
"Hey sorry, I got caught up" Jason says shooting an apologetic smile towards my parents.
"That's okay honey take a seat, we thought you'd be late" mom laughs going to get him his plate she was keeping heated in the oven.
"Sorry" he says again kissing my cheek and taking his usual seat next to me.
"Where we're you?" I whisper, dads on his phone in his own world so I doubt he's even listening.
"Uh...therapy" Jason sighs. I'm not sure what I was expecting but that wasn't it. Jason has been arguing about going back to therapy for a while now.

"I'm proud of you" I whisper leaning over and planting a kiss on his lips. He hesitates clearly a little bit shocked but then starts kissing me back. His hands go to my thighs as mine attach to his arms, neither one of us break the kiss as we get lost in one another.

"Not at the table please!" Mom says, I quickly break apart seeing lip gloss on Jason's pink, swollen lips making me smile.
"Come on their being kids!" Dad smiles looking at us. And here I thought it would be the other way around.
"Not at the table" mom repeats
"You've uh-" jason stumbles around his words, reaching up, he wipes the smudged lip gloss with his thumb as I too, wipe off the lip gloss from his lips. Moms grinning at me from the opposite side of the table as dad is now tucking into his food. I roll my eyes feeling heat rush to my cheeks as I start eating my food.

*~*

Wednesday

"Lock in on Friday, you guys going?" Katie asks sipping on her juice. Abbie shrugs then looks at me.
"I kinda have to, Jason" I say, lock in is an event that happens every years if you want to call it an event. It's $10 to go in, it's a massive school sleepover. In my words, it's a way for the school to make money out of a meaningless night. The whole baseball team make a big thing out of it, they sneak in alcohol, sneak around the school, last year they pranked coach and painted his office pink.
"Can Jason even go? I mean, it's the whole school in one room" Abbie says quietly
"He's been cleared for school, so why wouldn't he be able to?" I ask, I grab a few books I need from my locker and shove it in my bag.
"Yeah but there's fresh air. Breaks, there aren't a whole class of people in one gym. That's a lot of bacteria spreading" Katie says

"Jason has cancer, he's strong, he's on chemo and he said he's feeling fine. If the doctor cleared him for school he should be able to go to the lock in. He needs normality, plus if Jason Parker, the schools best pitcher doesn't go to the lock in their gonna know something is up. Then roomers will spread and eventually it's gonna get out" I whisper shout making sure no one is close enough to hear.
"I'm just saying" Katie says with her hands up in defeat.

*~*

"Absolutely not. Mom you can't let him go, the school is filled with bacteria he's going to pick something up!" Jessica argues. I'm sat in the kitchen next to Jason on FaceTime to Jessica. Jason's mom is home for a while, meaning a few days but it's good to see her home for her son for once. Even though he was on chemo last week and where was she? Yep, burying herself in work. Per usual.
"Maybe your sister is right" Melissa sighs
"Mom!" Jason shouts, I can see the defeat in Melissa's eyes. Her two kids are arguing over this, they both have good points. Jason wants normality, his life has been turned upside down, but Jessica is right. The school is the best place to pick up something, especially when your trapped in a gym with every student and no fresh air.

"I'll call the doctor, get his opinion" Melissa finally says. I can see the defeat now evident in Jason's eyes as he just nods sitting back in the chair.
"I hate you Jessica" Jason mumbles crossing his arms.
"Love you too" she sighs
"Fuck off" with that Jason pushes himself out of the chair walking upstairs. I can see the hurt in Jessica's eyes.
"He's just upset" Melissa says to Jessica
"Yeah" Jessica smiles softly
"Bye mom, love you" Melissa blows her a kiss and hangs up. Perfect timing seeing as ivy just started crying. Melissa turns to me, she looks exhausted.

"I'll talk to him" I smile
"Thank you sweetheart" she smiles back

*~*

"Jason?" I walk into Jason's room seeing he isn't there.
"Babe open up" I knock on the bathroom door seeing the light is on as it peaks under the door.
"I'm coming in" immediately after I walk in, I can't seem to remember how to breathe, I stand rooted in my spot.

Jason's on the floor, his legs to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. Glass crunches under my feet as I make my way over to him. I don't bother to examine the smashed mirror on the wall and all over the floor as I walk over to him.
"Talk to me, my love" I whisper, lifting his head up gently. My heart breaks when I meet his eyes, his eyes are red rimmed just like the other night when I caught him in the office.

He looks so defeated.

"I didn't think it would be this hard" his voice breaks as silent tears stream down his face.
"I know" I whisper, he unfolds his legs allowing me to climb into his lap and hold him. He practically melts into me as he hides his head in my shoulder. I see drops of blood on the floor making me quickly pull away to examine him. He seems to follow as he sighs lifting his hand. His whole hand is dripping with blood as shard's of glass stick into his skin.

"I just got angry, annoyed, irritated that my whole life is a mess" he says, embarrassment written clearly all over his face. I nod, climbing out of his lap and over to the sink. I wet a rag and grab the first aid kit from under the sink. Just like I did every time he got into a fight or the time where he punched a mirror before, I used tweezers to pull out the glass, wipe down the injury of blood and wrap it in gauze followed by a kiss on his lips to show him I understand.

"I love you" he mumbles
"I love you too. We will sort this out, if you can't go to the lock in we will have our own sleepover here. If you can go, we will prank every fucking teacher there is" I smile
"Best believe we will" a big grin forms on his face, I can already see the wheels in his head turning as he thinks of ideas for pranks.